Bag seal



B. D. OSTEEN Nov. 29, 193 2.

BAG SEAL Filed April 16, I952 INVENTOR ,B p. asfeen I BY W ATTORNEY;

Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES BELMONT D. OSTEEN,

PATENT OFFICE OI COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO TOM HUS'I'ON PEANUT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF GEORGIA me smr.

Application filed April 16,

My invention relates to a sealing means for bags, more particularly bags for the packaging and display of bulk edibles such as peanuts, candies and the like, and has for its object the provision of a device of the character desi ated which shall be simple of design, quickly and readily applied, and which shall be adapted to seal the bag substantially air tight. v

A further object of my invention is to provide a paper seal which shall be effective to close substantially air tight bags which are constructed of materials such that parts of the bag blank are difficult to be secured or joined together with ordinary quick drying adhesives, such, for example, as bags made from sheets of that cellulose product known to the trade as cellophane and to which it is difiicult to secure a paper seal with ordinary adhesives.

A more particular object of my invention is to rovide a seal for bags which are made of lig t material, such as oiled or waxed paper or cellophane, which seal shall embody means for quickly and securely binding the folded over end of such a bag so as to provide a substantially air tight closure therefor, without it being necessary to use paste adhesives or other securing means to seal the bag.

As is well known, in the packing of bulk. edibles, such as salted peanuts, candies, and the like, in small display "packages for the retail market, it is desirable to provide a small, sturdy, attractive package which shall be effective to protect its contents from exposure to outside air, whereby they may be maintained fresh and edible for relatively long periods of time. Transparent bags are particularly adapted for this purpose, and a relatively long slender transparent bag has found wide favor in the trade. Such a bag is shown in the United States patent to Huston, No. 1,603,207, issued October 12, 1926.

Where bags such as I have just described are made of paper the edges of the end of the bag may be pasted together or a gummed flap may be provided along one'side of the end of the bagwhich may be folded over and pasted down. Also seals adapted to bear advertising matter have been folded over the 1982. Serial No. 605,766.

ends of the paper bags and pasted down, as will appear in the patent aforesaid.

With the recent development of the cellulose product in sheet form known as cellophane, there has been made available for the trade a new material which is stronger, lighter and more transparent than the socalled transparent paper heretofore available. Such new material is also waterproof, so that it affords an ideal material for bags and packages adapted to display the goods attractively.

A serious difiiculty has confronted its use for such bags, however, in that ordinary quick drying adhesives would not bind the cellophane to-form its end closure or seal, and thus this otherwise highly desirable material has not be employed in the construction of air tight moisture proof bags.

There has lately been supplied an adhesive suitable for binding the parts of the cellophane bag together, but this adhesive is relatively slow drying and is not suitable for quickly sealing the open ends of the bags. It is desirable both for sanitary and commer- 7 cial reasons that such bags be filled by a suitable machine, thereby obviating the necessity of the bags or their contents being handled by operatives in the factory, and providing a high rate of production, and that the filled bags shall be automatically sealed so that they are ready for shipment as soon as they are filled. 1

My invention accordingly is concerned primarily with providing an effective seal for the closure of bags which may be quickly applied by a suitable machine, and which is not necessarily pasted to the body of the bag. It is thus peculiarly adapted for sealing cellophane bags although it will be apparent that it is equally suitable forpaper and other flexible bags. When secured in place it forms a strong, substantially air tight closure, with ample surface for embellishments or for advertising.

My invention also relates to the method of applying my improved sealing member to the end of a bag whereby the bag may be effectively closed in a manner which excludes out- 100 sideair and moistureand secures the end of the bag against accidental opening.

A device embodyin the distinctive features of my invention is i lustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a view of my improved seal opened out before being applied to a bag;

Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of application of the seal to a bag, shown fragmentally;

Figure 3 is a front view of a bag with the sealapplied and Figure 4 is a sectional view, greatly enlarged, taken along the line TVTV of Figure 3.

For the sake bf clearnessof description, the parts of my improved bag seal will be referred to hereinafter in the specification and in the claims in terms of front and rear, upper and side, having in mind the position of a bag held with its normally open end uppermost, and with one of its wider sides in view, constituting the front as so viewed. It is to be understood, however, that these terms are not used as limitations and are intended to apply in whatever position the bag may be considered.

Referring to the drawing. my improved sealing member is made from an integral paper blank having a front body portion 10, a rear body portion 11, a lateral tab 12 on the rear body portion 11 and an upper flap 13 on the upper edge of said body portion 11. The blank may be scored along the line 14 where the tab 12 joins the body portion 11' to permit ready folding of the tab over the body portion. Likewise, the blank may be scored along the line 16 where the upper flap joins the rear body portion 11, and along the line 17 where the front body portion joins the rear body portion. The inner sides of the blank which are folded over the end of the bag to be sealed are preferably provided with a suitable adhesive for securing the parts of the blank together and to the bag.

By referrin to Figures 2 to- 4, the method of applying the seal may be readily ascertained. The front and rear body portions 10 and 11- are folded about the flattened end of the bag 18 with an end margin 19 of the bag protruding beyond the body portions. The

side tab 12 is then folded over the front body portion and pasted down. The upper flap 13 is then folded downwardly carrying with it the protruding margin 19 over the front body portion 10 and tab 12 and is pasted down to the front body portion and to said tab 12. The protruding margin 19 of the bag 18 is left narrow enough so that the upper edge of the flap 13 when folded down extends beyond this margin 19 and overlaps the body portion 10 so that it may be readily pasted thereto.

When the parts of the seal are thus secured, the end of the bag is effectively closed neeaoor substantially air tight and moisture proof and is firmly and quickly secured against accidental opening.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. A sealing member for flexible bags, comprising front and rear body portions joined together and each coextensive in width to the flattened bag to be sealed, a side tab on one body portion, and an upper downwardly folding flap carried'by one body portion and adapted to be folded down over the side tab and the other body portion with the open bag end interposed to seal it.

2. A sealing means for flexible bags, comprising a seal adapted to encircle the bag below its open end and having a flap longer than the projection of the bag above it and adapted to be folded over with said project ing bag end and caused to adhere directly to the seal.

3. A seal for flexible bags, comprising an integral seal member having portions adapted to enclose the flattened end of the bag, leaving an upwardly protruding margin thereof, and an upper flap adapted to fold downwardly with the protruding margin over the enclosing portions and to be secured to the latter.

4. A seal for flexible bags, comprising an integral sealing member having front and rear body portions adapted to extend across.

the front and rear respectively of the flattened end of the bag with a margin of the end of the bag extending beyond the body portions, a side tab adapted to fold laterally over one of the body portions and the flattened end of the bag, and an upper flap on one of the body portions adapted to fold downwardly with the margin of the end of the bag over the other body portion and be secured thereto.

5. A seal for flexible bags, comprising an integral sealing member having front and rear body portions adapted to extend across the front and rear respectively of the flattened end of the bag with the open end of the bag extending beyond-the body portions, a side tab adapted to fold laterally over one of the body portions and the flattened end of the bag and be secured to said body portion, and an upper flap on one ofthe body portions adapted to fold downwardly with the open end of the bag over the tab and the other body portion and be secured thereto.

6. A seal for bags, comprising front and rear body portions adapted to fold laterally Eli over the end of the bag, a lateral tab adapted to fold over the side ofthe end of the bag and the front body portion and an upper folding flap forming an integral rt 0 the rear body portion and ada. ted to old downwardly over the tab and t e front body portion, and means to secure the flap and tab to the front body portion.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BELMONT D. OSTEEN. 

